Two days before the Rev. Al Sharpton is scheduled to meet with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Mormon talk-show host who challenged Sharpton's controversial remarks about the LDS faith met with church officials.
Glenn Beck, a conservative talk-radio and television host, was in Salt Lake City on Saturday to speak at the LDS Single Adult Conference and perform a comedy routine at Kingsbury Hall. After his morning remarks at the conference, he was whisked away to a meeting with an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"I just can't believe my life sometimes," Beck said, wiping away tears, as he shared with the crowd that a member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles called to speak with him during his Utah visit.
The person he spoke to and what was discussed was unclear Saturday. A spokesman for Beck was not even aware of the meeting.
Beck interviewed Sharpton on his CNN program shortly after Sharpton made a remark during a religious debate in New York City that suggested members of the LDS Church did not believe in God.
Sharpton, a Pentecostal minister and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, said during the debate: "As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyway, so don't worry about that, that's a temporary situation."
He was referring to Republican Mitt Romney, who is seeking his party's nomination for president. Sharpton later argued that his comment was distorted.
Sharpton promised Beck on CNN that he would return to the show to talk about his visit with LDS Church officials.
Beck told the LDS crowd that you cannot survive unless "you know why you believe the things you believe."
He spoke of his alcohol and drug problems before he converted to the church in 2000. What are defined as tragedies and hardships in life, "If we look at them through the right lens, they're blessings," he said.
"Our weaknesses are our strength," he said, adding people are given weaknesses they must control. "That was the sword we had that we were supposed to wield. If we can just master it, we'd be a great defender. But most of us avoid it."
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